Jake and Callie in PA

PA turned out to be the perfect winter getaway for Tony and I this January.  There is something cozy about museums, hotels in the city, and especially the Sangster home.  We had a lovely day exploring Philadelphia and visiting the Constitution Building, the Liberty Bell, the Rodin museum, and Rocky statue.  Callie joined us at the art museum for lunch and a wonderful afternoon amid the works of Old European Masters.  Tony was in heaven.  We drove to State College that night and took shortcuts through the real neighborhood of Philli.  I was glad to get a taste of the reality of city living for many people, and its not pretty.  Jake and Callie live in  State College, a charming old town with beautiful homes, the oldest church in the United States and tidy Amish farms.  I loved just watching out the windows to see the old houses and could easily imagine PA colors int he Fall.  On Friday Jake made us a delicious farm breakfast, his Mom's famous pancake recipe.  It was delightful to tour Penn State campus and meet Jake's professors and see his stomping ground.  We gave the Penn State creamery a try and visited some of Jake's favorite spots.  Unfortunately, the oldest church wasn't available for a tour because it was being investigated for paranormal activity, but we went to the military museum instead and met a delightfully passionate curator.  I loved driving the countryside and seeing the beautiful Amish farms.  Jake and Callie found a killer Thai restaurant so we had an early dinner and then saw "The Greatest Showman."  Such a fun unplanned treat!  But not as good of a treat as (more) ice cream from Meyer's Dairy.  On Saturday morning we hiked Mt Nitney, not a Utah mountain thank goodness.  After another tasty Sangster breakfast we were off to Philli in search of the perfect cheesesteak sandwich.  At the risk of missing our flight, we found it at Jims, and dang it was worth it.

Seeing Jake and Callie at Grad school in their sweet apartment brought back so many happy memories of when we were first married.  Jake and Callie have made good choices.  They are trying to do what's right.  I'm so proud of the person Callie is and feel grateful to have had the privilege  of watching her grow up.  We love Jake with all our hearts.  He is a good man.  We love watching them experience this happy time and can't wait to see what joys and trials await them.  We may not have this pleasure with our kids and it was a gift to be able to have this time with the Sangsters.